Ladder for life-saving.



PATENTBD NOV. 3, 1903,

FL SGHERRER.

. LADDER FOR LIFE SAVING.

1 APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

NO MODEL.

llllll zvln PATENTED NOV. 3, 1903, F. SCHERRER. LADDER FOR LIFE SAVING.

APPLICATION FILED MA 2. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

rbllL I lvllllll lllulv Z012): asses 2am 1': uomus wnzns w, murmumu. msmuoromp. c.

iatented November 3, 1903.

PATENT OF ICE.

FRANZ SCHERRER, OF BONN, GERMANY.

LADDER FQR LIFE-SAVING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 743,199, dated November 3, 1903.

Application filed May 2, 1908. $erial1l'o. 165,324. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANZ SCHERRER, a subject of the King of Prussia, German Emperor, residing at Bonn-on-the-Rhine, in the Province of the Rhine, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, have invented a new and useful Ladder for Life-Saving, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to ladders for lifesaving, and more especially to ladders of the kind described in the specification of German Patent No. 129,205. Ladders of this kind are composed of two difierent classes of small ladders, which I shall call unmovable ladders ant movable ladders, respectively. The immovable ladders are rigidly attached to a vertical shaft passing along all the windows of the same vertical row, while the movable ladders are arranged to move up and down. When the ladder is out of use, the movable ladders are drawn upward, so as to lie parallel to the unmovable ladders fixed to the vertical shaft, which has such a position that the whole device is, as it were,concealed in the recesses formed by the windows. For bringing the ladder in use the vertical shaft is turned on an angle of ninety degrees. The movable ladders being then no longer supported will drop down, thus connecting the ends of the immovable ladders, and the whole ladder takes up a position rectangular to the front of the building.

My invention consists in rigidly attaching rack-bars to the sides of the movable ladders and in providing pinions gearing with the said rack-bars and means for actuating such pinions. By this means the movable ladders can be instantly drawn upward when the Whole ladder has been used for exercising purposes, and they can be forcibly moved downward if they are by accident hindered from dropping automatically.

I refer to the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of the whole ladder in use, the adjacent portion of the building being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line A B of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevation of a modified construction likewise in use. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line C D of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 shows a portion of Fig. 3 on a larger scale.

As to Figs. 1 and 2, a is the vertical shaft dispensed with.

'f g of the movable ladders, respectively.

The inner sides f are provided with rack-bars h, gearing with pinions t, which are fixed to the outer ends of spindles k. The latter have handles on for allowing of turning the spindles, together with the pinions i, in order to move the small laddersf 9 up or down. The horizontal toothed Wheels n of conical shape fixed to the vertical shaft and the vertical toothed wheels 0 gearing with the former and adapted to be rotated by hand serve for turning the shaft a on an angle of ninety degrees, as described in the specification of German Patent No. 129,205.

As to the modification shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, the vertical Wheels 0 mesh with horizontal wheels 19, loosely mounted on the shaft a. Below each frame b three gearing-wheels q, r, and s are journaled in an arm 1., rigidly fastened to the frame, and the lowest of the said wheels q carries aconical wheel a, which gears with the conical wheel 19. The wheels 3 are fixed to the inner ends of the spindles lo, the handles in of the latter being of course It will be seen that on rotating the vertical shaft or the movable ladders will be forcibly and automatically raised or lowered, according to the sense of rotation.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a life-saving apparatus the combination with a vertical shaft passing alongall windows in the same vertical row, means for rotating the said vertical shaft, ladders rigidly attached to the same and movable ladders for connecting the former ladders when in use, of rack-bars fastened to the movable ladders, pinions gearing with the said rackbars, and means for rotating the said pinions, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a life-saving apparatus the combina tion with a vertical shaft passing along all windows of the same vertical row, means for rotating the said vertical shaft, ladders rigidly attached to the same and movable ladders for connecting the former ladders when In testimony whereof I have signed my in use, of rack-bars fastened to the movable name to this specification in the presence of ladders, pinions gearing with the said racktwo subscribing Witnesses.

bars, a gearing mechanism between the said FRANZ SOHERRER. 5 pinions and the means for rotating the ver- Witnesses:

tical shaft mentioned above, substantially as W.. FREIHERR v. LYNCKER,

and for the purpose set forth. JOH. SCHOLZ. 

